2.4.0.82102100 - Disclosure - Description and Basis of Presentationtruefalsefalse1falsefalsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000709804duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true1sxcl_BusinessDescriptionAndBasisOfPresentationTextBlockAbstractsxcl_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse02false2us-gaap_BusinessDescriptionAndBasisOfPresentationTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Description and Basis of Presentation</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Steel Excel Inc. (“Steel Excel” or the “Company”) currently operates in </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">two</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> reporting segments - Energy and Sports. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Steel Energy Ltd. ("Steel Energy"), the Company's Energy segment focuses on providing services to oil and gas companies, utilizing technological advances in supporting horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Steel Sports Inc., the Company's Sports segment focuses on providing event-based sports and entertainment services and other health-related services, including baseball facility services, baseball and soccer camps and leagues, and strength and conditioning services. The Company also continues to identify other new business acquisition opportunities. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements (the “Financial Statements”) of Steel Excel and its subsidiaries, which have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and therefore do not include all information and footnotes necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, should be read in conjunction with the notes to the consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. The Company believes that all adjustments, consisting primarily of normal recurring accruals, necessary for a fair presentation have been included in the Financial Statements. The operating results of any period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year or any future period.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Commencing with the quarterly period ended June 30, 2013, the Company's quarter-end dates coincide with the calendar quarter-end dates. Prior to that time, the Company's quarter-end dates were based on fiscal quarters ending on the thirteenth Saturday of such fiscal quarter. The Company's quarter-end date was June 30 for both the 2013 and 2012 periods.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The results of operations for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012, include a non-cash benefit for income taxes of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">$15.1 million</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> as a result of a measurement period adjustment related to an acquisition (see Note 3). Certain other prior-period amounts in the Financial Statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2013 presentation, including the reclassifications necessary to reflect the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of a disposed business separately from continuing operations (see Note 5).</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for the business description and basis of presentation concepts. Business description describes the nature and type of organization including but not limited to organizational structure as may be applicable to holding companies, parent and subsidiary relationships, business divisions, business units, business segments, affiliates and information about significant ownership of the reporting entity. Basis of presentation describes the underlying basis used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS).No definition available.false0falseDescription and Basis of PresentationUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.steelexcel.com/role/DescriptionAndBasisOfPresentation12